Best National Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Act

Metallica

They're often a band who are compared to Led Zeppelin in terms of influence and fire-power. But what differentiates Metallica from their English forefathers is that, unlike Led Zepplin, Metallica generally manage to not suck. Oh sure, Zep had their moments, but in the end, what with their increasing preoccupation of screeching about gnomes and magic kingdoms, they sounded less and less like one of the world's hardest rockers and more like a bunch of half-baked, limey mystics who drank way too much.

Metallica, on the other hand, were able to -- almost entirely on their own -- rewrite the rules of an entire music genre. Keep in mind that when they initially began jackhammering craniums back in the mid-'80s, hair bands like Ratt, Poison, and Mötley Crüe were riding the train of phony-rebellion all the way from the arena to the bank. Any metal band who have emerged over the past 10 years who says they haven't been influenced by Metallica are either lying or they're just plain ignorant. And what makes it interesting is that success has come on Metallica's own terms.

Combining their love for Eurometal with American punk music, Metallica slowly slithered their way up the ladder, advancing from underground outsider with '83's volatile calling card Kill 'Em All to underground heroes with '86's Master of Puppets to full-blown stardom with '91's self-titled smash Metallica. Never have a band come so far with as little commercial support. Mainstream radio and a mainstream audience eventually came to them, a testament to their integrity as much as to the power of their music.

Metallica have also aged a lot better than many in the metal hierarchy (how 'bout that new Plant/Page album?). While having lost some of the venom and primal ooze that drove them through their first 10 years, making them one of the most powerful bands of their generation, they still hold the title as the darkest stadium-rockers in the universe.

-- John O'Neill